Savior
by malic124
Summary: Companion to "Seeking Justice," John Foster returns to San Diego for the final stop of his book tour and to return home to his family, the Fosters. While at the book signing, something tragic happens, turning everyone's lives upside down.
1. Homecoming

Jude glanced up when he heard his phone vibrate. He reached over across Connor, who was lying in bed with him, and saw a text had been sent to him from John.

"Who's that?" Connor asked tiredly.

"Our favorite author," said Jude, swiping the screen open. He clicked on the iMessage bubble on his phone and opened up the message from John.

 _Is it tomorrow yet!?_ John's text read.

Jude smiled at his cousin's impatience to return home. _Not yet, goofball,_ " he replied back.

A few seconds later, John replied, causing Jude to laugh.

 _I just want to come home and sleep in a place full of people I know! Is that too much to ask?_

 _Yes._ Jude replied back with a wink smile face. He grinned mischievously as he pressed "send."

"What are you two going on about?" Connor asked.

"John's impatient about coming home tomorrow," Jude said, giggling. "He's complaining about having to sleep in places full of strangers."

 _Rude!_ John texted back.

Jude giggled again. _Love you, cousin! See you tomorrow at the airport!_

John texted back quickly.

 _See you tomorrow, buddy! I can't wait to see everybody!_

Jude put his phone down and lay back down with Connor. Connor pulled him close as they slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"He should be appearing there any moment now," said Stef, glancing over at the escalators arriving passengers took when they walked to the baggage claim area.

They all were barely able to contain their excitement. John had only been gone two months on his book tour, but the house felt a little empty without his presence.

"He did text you, right?" Lena asked, sounding a little worried.

"Yes, my love," Stef said, sounding slightly exasperated. "That was only 10 minutes ago, and he has to wait for everyone else in front of him to get off. Plus, the walk over can take a few minutes. He'll be here."

As if on cue, John appeared on the escalators in front of them, glancing around for them. Jude and Connor held up a sign with his book cover on it. The caption below it read, "Welcome home to our favorite author!"

John burst into laughter when he saw the sign and Jude and Connor holding it up excitedly. He hurried off of the escalator and over to his family, reaching Stef and Lena first, who pulled him into the tightest of hugs.

"How are you, Love?" Stef asked, kissing him on the cheek.

"Glad to finally be home," John said.

"Safe flight?" asked Lena.

"Not too bad," John said. "I'm just glad it wasn't cross-country. Otherwise, I might be a little grumpy.

They all laughed as Stef and Lena broke off the hug, and motioned for the kids to come forward. One by one, John greeted Brandon, Callie, Mariana and Jesus with hugs. When he reached Connor, their hug lasted a little longer. Jude, however, seemed impatient and nearly threw himself onto John when he and Connor broke apart, holding his cousin tightly.

"I'm so glad you're home," Jude said as he held on to John.

"And I was the one getting flack for wanting to come home," John replied, causing Jude to snort. "I'm glad to see you too, Jude," he added, holding Jude closer. When they finally broke apart, Stef and Lena motioned for the kids to follow them to the baggage claim.

"So, how's the book tour been?" Stef asked.

"Hectic," John replied. "A lot of traveling, a lot of interviews with news folk and a lot of getting my picture taken at the most inopportune moments."

They all laughed. "But, I've just got one more signing after _Ellen_ tomorrow and then I'm home free. Until HarperCollins asks me to write another one, that is," John said, causing them all to laugh again as they reached the baggage claim. John's flight had just started releasing the luggage, so John stepped forward to watch for his things.

"We're going out to dinner tonight, John," Lena said, stepping next to him. "Is there any place in particular you want to go to?"

"Anything's good with me," John said, leaning forward and grabbing his luggage. "And I'll be happy sleeping literally anywhere in the house. Heck, I'd even take the floor!"

Lena laughed as they returned to the rest of the family and started to walk to the cars.

* * *

After dinner, everyone had different plans for the evening, and all spread out through the house. Callie and Mariana were putting the final touches on their app for Callie's independent study and closed the door to not be disturbed. Brandon stayed in his room, too, working on a piece for school. Jesus started to do some workouts — he was due back at wrestling school for a quick tournament, and then he would return home for the rest of the school year. Stef and Lena decided to go up to bed early, both tired from the day.

Jude and Connor, meanwhile, were both wide-awake and joined John in the living room. John looked up when he saw them enter and smiled.

"Hey guys," he said, motioning for them to sit down next to him. They joined him on the couch, Jude right next to John, with Connor on his opposite side. The two held hands as John rummaged in his backpack.

"What'cha looking for?" Jude asked curiously.

"A little something I grabbed on the tour for the both of you," John replied, extracting two identically shaped presents in green wrapping paper from his backpack. He handed them each to Jude and Connor, who took them, looking confused.

"What's this?" Connor asked.

"It's a present, goofball," said John. "And no, I won't tell you what it is, you gotta open it like it's Christmas!"

Jude and Connor giggled and hurriedly unwrapped their gifts. John had given both of them hard copies of his book that were signed with personal messages for them both.

"I know you said you read my book," John said as Jude and Connor looked up at him, at as loss for words. "But, I wanted you both to have your own from me personally."

Jude leaned over and pulled John into a hug.

"You're the best," he whispered to his cousin. "We're so proud of you."

John smiled, patting Jude on the back. "I'm just so happy to finally be back," he said. "I really missed you guys."

"We missed you," Connor said, leaning forward awkwardly over Jude and trying to pat John on the back.

"But, I'm home now, and after tomorrow, I'm a free agent," he said. "How about we just spend some time together tonight, watch a movie or something, like the old days?"

Jude and Connor nodded excitedly. They all picked out a movie and sat together, holding each other close, as they watched and enjoyed the movie.


	2. Ellen

John looked up when he heard Melissa, one of the producers on _Ellen_ enter the dressing room.

"About ready, John?" asked Melissa.

"Yep," John said, nodding at the make up artist who had been prepping him for the show. "Is my family out there?"

"They are," Melissa said, leading John to the studio, where the show was being taped. "I'll need you to put on this microphone and do an audio check before you go out there," she added, handing him a microphone and a box it was connected to. John hooked up the mic to his shirt and he tossed the box into his pocket.

"Go ahead and do a check," Melissa said, listening in her earpiece to another producer.

"Mic check one, two, three," John said.

"You're good," Melissa said. "Now, we'll just wait for the introduction from Ellen and then you'll be able to go in. You can watch on that TV there," she said, pointing to a TV just above their heads.

After Ellen had told her monologue of the day, she spoke about John and his book.

"Our final guest today is a young author with one of the fastest selling books of all time," Ellen said. John straightened his posture, readying to go out into the studio. "His book _Survivor_ is an autobiography that has sold more than a million copies since it was published two months ago. Please welcome John Foster to the show!"

Melissa nodded at John, who stepped from the hallway into the studio, where the audience was cheering loudly for him. John smiled and waved at them as he walked toward Ellen. He spotted The Fosters and Connor in the audience, and smiled at them. He reached Ellen, who was also clapping for him.

"Hi!" Ellen said excitedly.

"Hello!" John said as they hugged briefly. "It's great to finally meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, too," Ellen said while they broke apart. "Have a seat," she said, motioning to the chair behind him. They both sat down as the audience quieted its applause.

"So, John, thank you for coming!" said Ellen.

"Thanks for having me! It's a great way to segue into my final book signing tonight."

"Oh yes, we'll talk about that a little later, but first, I just want to hear your story before we talk about the book. And that's really what the book is all about, your story as a survivor."

"It is," John said, nodding. "It's an extremely personal story, and it's all about what has happened to me since my parents died two and a half years ago."

Ellen nodded in sympathy. "Losing a parent is never easy," she said.

"It's not," said John, nodding in agreement. "It was hard for me to overcome it."

"What did happen to your parents, if you don't mind my asking?"

"They were killed in a horrific car accident," John said, the sadness evident in his voice. "It was something that nobody is at fault for. The driver that hit them actually tried to stop his vehicle from crashing into theirs, but a tire blew and he lost control of it, and it killed my parents instantly."

"That's so sad," Ellen said, wiping a tear from her face.

"It was, and it's still hard to talk about sometimes, but it's where everything began with this process."

"So, what happened after your parents died?"

"I was legally emancipated from any true guardianship, thanks to my age. However, I was given the choice of having my aunts, Stef and Lena, Stef is my mother's sister, become my guardians if necessary."

"And your family is here in the audience," said Ellen.

"They are," John said, turning and pointing them out. "My aunt Stef and aunt Lena," he said as the camera focused on them. "And my cousins Brandon, Callie, Mariana, Jesus and Jude. And our special family friend, and Jude's boyfriend, Connor."

"Welcome to the show!" Ellen said to them before turning back to John. "And what happened next to you is not something that's easy at all to talk about."

John nodded in agreement. "It's not," he said. "But, it's something I do have to talk about, because it's key to this story. A few months after my parents died, I was sexually assaulted while returning home one night. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it did leave me traumatized. Six months later, I moved in with Stef and Lena, and that's when my attacker broke out of prison, the first time."

"And he was captured?" Ellen asked.

"Yes, and his trial resumed shortly after. He was imprisoned for what he did to me, but he escaped six months after that one last time. Stef and I managed to defeat him once and for all to make sure he didn't hurt anybody ever again."

Ellen stood up. "I have to give you another hug," she said, teary eyed. John laughed and hugged her back before she sat down again.

"And so you decided to start writing about your experiences as a survivor?"

"That's right," said John.

"Tell us about that. I heard you were at a conference for survivors, or something?"

"Yes," John said, nodding. "It was a gala of sorts for survivors put on by the Joyful Heart Foundation, which is a fabulous organization dedicated to healing, educating and empowering survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. I had heard about something they were throwing together for survivors down in Florida, and I contacted them and asked if I could attend it. They accepted and I was invited to speak at one of the functions they had. I was terrified out of my wits to do it, but I found that writing down my thoughts beforehand really helped me."

"Is that when you started writing?" Ellen asked.

"Partially," John said. "I gathered many of my thoughts about what had happened to me before I spoke. I found that writing really helped me sort through everything, and that's when I was inspired to write the book. I needed to tell my story to let other survivors know that they are not alone, and that they have no reason to feel any shame."

"How long did it take you to write?"

"About a month and half," John said, smiling.

"Wow! How did you pull that off?"

"I'm pretty disciplined," said John, laughing with Ellen. "I basically spent every free moment I had writing the book and getting it all out of me. When I finished it, I sent it to HarperCollins to be published, and they called me back the next day, saying they would like to publish my story."

"That's incredible," said Ellen. "Does it feel good to have told your story to other people?"

"It's been liberating," John said. "It's not something that's easy to talk about, but once you do talk to people about it, it can be incredibly healing."

"Now, John, do you have any favorite authors?" Ellen asked in a knowing voice.

John sensed that he was about to get surprised with something. "J.K. Rowling is by far my favorite. But, I also love Jodi Picoult and several others."

"I'm glad you mentioned Jodi Picoult," Ellen said, smiling and standing up. "We have a little surprise for you, John. Please welcome Jodi Picoult to the show!"

"Oh my goodness!" John said, standing up, as Jodi Picoult walked into the studio behind him, smiling and waving at the audience, which was cheering loudly. He and Jodi smiled at each other before they hugged, John seemingly at a loss for words.

"Hi John!" Jodi said as they broke apart and sat down next to him.

"Oh my goodness," John repeated. "This feels like a dream!"

Ellen and Jodi laughed. "You know, John," Ellen said. "I called up Jodi and told her you were coming to the show and that you were a big fan of hers. She said she had to come here and meet you and tell her something about your book."

John turned to Jodi. "First, I was just want to say how incredibly brave you are for writing your story, John," Jodi said. "It's not something that's easy to talk about. And, second, I just want to say that when I bought it, I could not put your book down. Insightful, probing, I just really, really loved your book."

John smiled and hugged Jodi again. "You have no idea how much that means to me," he said before turning back to Ellen. "And thank you for this lovely surprise!"

"Now, John, we do have to start wrapping things up, but before we do, let's talk about your book signing."

"Yes," John said. "It's later this afternoon at 4:00 on Anchor Beach. I'll be signing copies of the book and taking photos with fans. Everyone is welcome to come. They can bring a copy of the book, or buy one at the signing."

"And everyone here in the audience is going home with a copy of the book!" Ellen added, which caused the audience to cheer.

John smiled at them. "And I will sign each and every one of them after the show!" he said.

Ellen laughed and looked at the camera. "I'm sure they'll love that," she said. "I want to thank everyone who came to the show today. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing the books for the audience, thanks to musical guest Greyson Chance, thanks to Christopher Meloni and Mark Hamill and thanks to Jodi Picoult and John Foster for their visits. We'll see you all tomorrow — be kind to one another!" she finished, waving at the audience.


	3. Attack

John signed one final copy of his book and posed for a picture with the fan as his final book signing wrapped up. His agent from HarperCollins then thanked the audience for attending the book signing and asked that they start to clear the area so the tent could be taken down before sunset.

After shaking hands with a few fans, John hustled over toward the rest of the family, all of whom had been awkwardly standing by watching him sign copies of the book. Once he reached them, he spoke with Stef and Lena.

"Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, I wasn't sure how long this was going to take," he said, flustered.

"No don't worry, Love," said Stef, nodding in reassurance. "You had a job to do out here."

"Besides, it's not every day we get to see our nephew signing copies of his book for his fans," Lena said, smiling at him.

John grinned. "Well, I'm a free man now, so how about we enjoy this lovely early evening on the beach as a family?"

The rest of the Fosters nodded. Together, they walked along the shoreline, starting to watch the sun set over the ocean. After a little while, John, Jude and Connor asked to walk separately for a little while — Jude told Stef and Lena that he and Connor wanted to catch up with John a little more while they were out and about and not cooped up in the house.

The boys walked along the beach away from the family. As they did, Jude and Connor held hands, perfectly content showing their love openly, despite the possible risks.

"So, Mr. Author," said Jude. "How does it feel to be done with the tour?"

John chuckled. "It feels like I just ended a year's worth of work without stop," he said tiredly. "There were some long, crazy hours on that tour, and lots of traveling and air time. Believe me, if you think it's hard to fall asleep on a plane on a regular flight, it's even harder when you do it all the time."

Jude and Connor laughed. "You know, I've never been on a plane," said Connor.

"Really?" asked Jude, shocked at his boyfriend's confession. "I thought you would have traveled with your dad on his business trips."

Connor shook his head as they reached a rock. He and Jude leaned on it while John stood near them. "Nope," said Connor. "He always had me stay home whenever he went on his trips. I used to have a babysitter, but now I just stay home alone. It's not my favorite thing in the world."

Jude gripped his hand tighter. "Well, maybe you don't have to anymore. You can come around and stay with us when he goes out of town."

"I'd like that," Connor said, smiling. John grinned with them as someone approached them, looking angry.

"Hey, you faggots! Stop that hand holding!" the man yelled in a gravely voice. As he spoke, the boys noticed he was missing several teeth. He also appeared to be drunk; he was swaying as he stood there yelling at them.

"Hey, now," said John, standing up straight. "How about you just let them go about their business and you can go about yours?"

"Why the hell should I have to see these faggots holding hands in public?" the man demanded. Jude and Connor rose, but John held his hand up, signaling to them to stay down.

"These young ones are not worth it," John said calmly, smiling slightly at the man. "Come, let me get you something to drink and we can talk about this."

"Screw you, fag lover!" the man yelled. Before John could react, the man slapped him across the face. The force was enough to push John to the ground with a grunt.

"John!" Connor yelled, leaning forward to help him.

"No!" the man shouted, grabbing Connor and pulling out a knife. He held Connor up, with the knife pointed at Connor's side.

Jude leapt to the ground and helped John up. John held his face as he looked at Connor, who was completely helpless in the man's grasp.

"Don't do it, friend," John said, the anger starting to show itself in his tone. "You don't want to do anything you would regret."

"Wouldn't I?" said the man. With a laugh he lifted the knife and stabbed Connor in the ribcage. Connor screamed out in pain and stumbled as John leaned forward and grabbed the man's arm with the knife in it.

John managed to knock the knife out of the man's hand before he started to punch the man in the face several times. The man fell to the ground, and John jumped on him, punching him in the face several more times before he saw that the man had fallen unconscious. He stood up from the unconscious man and hurried over to Jude, who was cradling Connor in his arms, sobbing. Connor was bleeding heavily from the stab wound.

John knelt down next to Connor and looked at him for a second before looking up at Jude.

"Call Stef, Jude," he said in an urgent tone. "Tell her what happened and to get an ambulance here as fast as she can."

Jude nodded, standing up and pulling out his phone, tears streaming down his face. John focused his attention back on Connor. He reached for one of Connor's hands and kept pressure on Connor's wound.

"Connor, can you hear me?" he asked. When he got no response, he started to panic. "Connor, please," he said. "If you can understand me, squeeze my hand."

A few seconds passed before John felt pressure on his hand as Connor squeezed on it with his own.

"Good boy," John said, releasing Connor's hand. "Just stay calm now, Connor. Help is gonna be here soon. You're gonna be just fine."

Jude bent down next to them, continuing to sob.

"It's OK, Jude," John said, keeping pressure on Connor's stab wound. "It doesn't seem like the wound is that deep. We'll just have wait for the paramedics to come."

Jude nodded as the rest of the family arrived, screaming when they saw Connor lying in a pool of blood. Stef bent down next to them and looked over Connor.

"How bad?" she asked, looking at John.

"It doesn't seem that deep," John said. "I can't be sure, though. But, he's responding to me."

Stef nodded. "The paramedics are on their way. What the hell happened?"

John motioned to the man on the ground with his head. "That," he said with an angry expression on his face. "The bastard came up to us, yelling for Jude and Connor to stop holding hands. I tried to calm him down and get him to go away, but he pulled the knife. He smacked me in the face before he grabbed Connor. I told him not to do it, but… —" John couldn't finish as he burst into tears.

"It's OK, John," Stef said soothingly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You did all that you could to prevent this. But for now, let's just focus on getting Connor to the hospital and we'll go from there."

John nodded as two paramedics ran up to them with a stretcher.

"How bad is it?" one of them asked when they reached Stef and the boys.

"Stab wound in the kidney area," replied John, stepping back to let the paramedics take care of Connor.

"We better move," said the male paramedic. He and his partner lifted Connor onto the stretcher and started to run back to their vehicle. John stayed right next to Connor, while Jude followed with the rest of the family.

"You're gonna be OK, Connor," John said as they reached the ambulance. He helped the paramedics lift the stretcher into the back of the vehicle before jumping in with them. "I'll go with them," he said to Stef and Lena. "You guys get everyone back to the hospital. Jude," he added, staring at his cousin and grabbing his hand quickly. "He's gonna be OK. I'm gonna stay with him until we get there."

Jude nodded as the driver shut the doors. John sat down next to Connor and grabbed onto one of his hands while the paramedic in the back with him started to set Connor up on an IV.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she said in a somber voice. "We'll just have to get to the hospital as quickly as we can. We're good back here," she yelled to the front of the ambulance. The vehicle started moving. John kept his focus on Connor, trying to comfort his dear friend.

"Stay with me, Connor, OK?" he said, rubbing Connor on the head with the hand not holding onto Connor's. Connor stared back at him blankly, the oxygen mask obscuring his mouth so that John couldn't hear if he said anything. "You hang in there. We're gonna be there soon, OK?"

Suddenly, there was rapid beeping on the machine Connor was hooked up to. John looked up in panic at it before turning to the paramedic.

"We lost him!" she said.

"Do something!" John said as she reached across and grabbed a pair of defibrillators and placed them onto Connor's chest.

"Clear!" the paramedic yelled as she zapped Connor. John stepped back, more tears streaming down his face.

* * *

John hurried into the waiting room after he had cleaned his hands and had his right hand checked by a doctor. He had only sustained some bruising from punching the man, and the doctor quickly cleared him, urging him to put ice on it while he waited for word about Connor.

Connor had arrived conscious, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. Just as John ran into the waiting room, the Fosters all arrived. He ran up to Stef and Lena and hugged them quickly before turning to Jude.

Jude seemed at a loss for words as he stared at his cousin. A few seconds later, he leaned forward as John pulled him into a bear hug, holding him tightly. Jude sobbed onto John's shoulder as John cried himself.

"Thank you," Jude said in between tears. "For being with him."

"He's going to be OK, Jude," John replied, as he tightened his hold on Jude, if that were possible. "I promise you; he's gonna be just fine."


	4. I Just Have To

John looked up as Adam rushed into the waiting room, his eyes lit with fear. John motioned to Jude, who had been crying softly into John's shoulder and holding onto one of his hands. Adam looked at them before running over, tears streaming down his face. John and Jude stood up, Jude wiping the tears from his face.

"Jude, John," Adam said in a barely recognizable voice. "Are you two all right?"

"We're fine," said John. "I'm so sorry about Connor. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't and he just — "

Adam held up a hand. "No, you don't blame yourself for what that coward did. You did everything you could to save my son and get him here to the hospital. And you stayed with him in the ambulance. That's all I could ask from you."

John nodded, wiping a tear from his face as Adam looked at Jude.

"Hey, kid, you OK?" he asked.

Jude nodded. "I'll be fine," Jude said. "I'm just worried about him."

"He's tough," Adam said, nodding and sitting down with them and the rest of the Adams Foster family. "He'll get through this just fine. You'll see."

* * *

Half an hour later, a doctor finally came into the waiting room and walked over to them. Everyone stood up, desperate to hear some news.

"How is he, doctor?" Adam asked.

"He's stable for now, Mr. Stevens," said the doctor with a grim expression on his face. "We've sedated him to give him time to recovery from surgery." The doctor hesitated.

"Go on," Adam said.

"Your son is on dialysis, Mr. Stevens. He's going to need a kidney replacement if we are to save him completely."

"What happened?" asked John, sounding worried.

"One of his kidneys was badly damaged by the stab wound," the doctor explained. "We had to remove it right away to prevent any further damage. And, we found that his other kidney is too small to carry on by itself. It's a rare phenomenon, but we've seen it before. If your son is going to have any chance at recovery, I'm afraid he's going to need a new kidney."

They all looked at each other, at a loss for words.

"Do you have any donors available right now?" asked Stef.

"I'm afraid not, ma'am," said the doctor. "We'd have to put Connor on a waiting list. He could be here for months if he is put on the list."

"What if you found a donor who wanted to give a kidney to Connor?" Adam asked.

"We'd be able to schedule surgery as soon as possible. Though, I'm afraid you are not a match for your son, Mr. Stevens."

Adam sighed, looking defeated. He turned to Stef.

"I can't ask any of you to have a test done," he said. "But, if you know of anybody — "

"How about me?" John asked, stepping forward.

"John…" Lena said, knowing what her nephew wanted to ask.

"Lena, please," John said. "Legally, I am emancipated from any guardianship, so I have the final say over any medical decision I make."

Stef nodded, grabbing Lena's hand in reassurance. "He's right, Love," Stef said. "If John wants to help, I think he should."

"I don't want to lose him," Lena said, with a plea in her tone.

"The surgery has minimal risks," said the doctor. "John would be asleep the entire time, and he would just need about a week of recovery in the hospital and then he would be fine."

Adam turned to John. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

John nodded. "I'm not going to let any of us lose him, Adam. I'm not going to spend the rest of my life wandering what might have been. I just have to do this." John turned to the doctor. "What do I have to do, doctor?"

"You'll need to fill out some paperwork, and then we'll take you back for a blood test that will determine if you are a match."

* * *

After John's blood test, Adam stood up to talk to the doctor.

"Doc, I know he's not awake, but can we at least see him?" he asked.

The doctor nodded sympathetically. "Of course, Mr. Stevens," he said. "Take as long as you need."

Adam turned to Jude and John, motioning for them to follow. The doctor led them to Connor's room. Connor was asleep on the bed, attached to multiple machines keeping him healthy. He looked peaceful.

Adam stood on one side of the bed while Jude and John, holding hands, stood on the other.

"Hey," said Adam quietly, looking at Connor with tears forming in his eyes. "You're gonna get through this, Connor. You're tough as nails, I know you are. We're going to do everything we can to make sure that you stay here with us." He leaned down and kissed Connor on the forehead. He then nodded at Jude and John and left them alone in the room.

John leaned down over Connor, as if he would be staring him right in the eyes.

"I wanna apologize to you," he said, tears flowing down his face. "Because the only thing I've been thinking about are ways to heal your body. Because I know better than that. We are not bodies with souls. We are souls with bodies." John sniffed as he grabbed one of Connor's hands, squeezing it gently. "You hang in there, buddy," he said as he stood up.

Jude leaned down next. He stared at Connor's face for a few moments before he started speaking.

"Hey," he said quietly. "We really want you to stay with us, OK? I mean, we've got the whole family out there waiting on you to get through this. John is going to try and help make you better. Please, don't leave us. Don't leave me, Connor. I love you. So much."

At that, Jude quickly kissed Connor before gently collapsing onto his chest and breaking down in sobs. John grabbed onto him, crying on Jude's shoulder and grabbing him, holding Jude as tightly as he could.


	5. Perfect Match

John walked into Connor's hospital room, where Connor was awake and talking quietly with Jude. He crept over to the bed, eventually catching Connor's attention. Connor's face lit up when he saw John.

"Hi," Connor said weakly, smiling at John.

"Hi," John said, sitting down opposite Jude on Connor's right. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm in a lot of pain," said Connor. "But, I'm managing.

John grinned. "I'm really glad to hear that. You're gonna get out of here soon, Connor. And everything will be OK."

At that, Connor's doctor, Dr. Nichols, appeared in the doorway with Stef and Lena following him. Dr. Nichols walked toward them, catching their attention.

"John," Dr. Nichols said. "Can I see you for a minute, please?"

"Of course," said John, standing up and giving Connor's hand a squeeze. "I'll be right back," he said to Jude and Connor. He gave Jude a quick pat on the shoulder as he walked by him, following Dr. Nichols out of the room and to his office. Stef, Lena and John all sat together while Dr. Nichols took his spot at his desk, opening a folder.

"Well, John," he said with an air of cheerfulness. "I'm happy to tell you that you are a perfect match for Connor. You can give him one of your kidneys, if you'd still like to."

John sighed in relief, turning to Stef and Lena, who nodded in encouragement.

"Do you still want to this, Love?" Stef asked gently.

"I have to," John said, nodding. "When can we do the surgery?"

"We can do it tomorrow morning," Dr. Nichols said. "You'll stay here overnight with Connor, and then we'll take you both in for surgery first thing in the morning. The surgery will take several hours, and you'll be asleep for all of it. You probably won't wake up again until well after the procedure. It's a simple enough operation, and you'll be totally safe here. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm not going to lose one of my best friends, Doc," John said. "Let's take care of this as soon as we can."

* * *

Half an hour later, John walked back into Connor's room after he and Stef and Lena told the rest of the family and Adam about his decision to go forward with the surgery.

"Everything OK?" Jude asked as John sat back down in his spot.

"Things are a little better than OK," John said, putting a hand over his face, flashing his hospital bracelet with a knowing look at Jude. Jude's face lit up as he realized what John was about to reveal to them. Connor looked at John's arm curiously.

"Er…John?" Connor asked. "Any reason you're wearing a hospital bracelet? You planning on staying a while or something?"

John grinned and took a hold of one of Connor's hands.

"Yes, Connor," John said. "I'm going to stay here a while. About the same length of time as you, in fact."

"What do you mean?" Connor asked while Jude tried hard to prevent himself from bursting out with the news.

"I just had a meeting with your doctor, Connor, and he told me that I'm a perfect match for you to receive a kidney from me. I'm going to give you a part of me that will be with you forever," John finished, smiling at Connor's bewildered expression.

"John!" Connor exclaimed, starting to cry. "Oh my god," he said as the tears started to flow. He leaned forward as gently as he could just as John leaned toward him and pulled Connor into a hug. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Connor," John said. "I have to do this for you. I'm not going to let you sit here for months waiting for a kidney, so I'm going to give you one of mine."

Connor sobbed into John's shoulder, while John rubbed his back soothingly. After a few moments of this, they finally broke apart, Connor wiping the tears from his face. John looked to Jude, who was also crying.

"This means a lot to me, to us," Jude said. "I can't thank you enough for this, John."

"It means a lot to me, too," said John. "I know how important Connor is to you, to all of us. That's why I'm doing this."

Jude reached across the bed and grabbed onto one of John's hands. They squeezed each other's hands tightly as Connor placed one of his hands on theirs.

"Together," John said. "Forever."

"Together," Jude and Connor echoed. "Forever."


	6. Vision

Stef and Lena walked up to John's stretcher as the doctors were pushing it toward the operating room. Jude followed them closely.

"You hang in there," Stef said, kissing him on the forehead.

"Just focus on getting better," added Lena, also planting a kiss on his forehead.

"I'll be fine, you two," John said, smiling at their worry. "You two just think about how this will make everything all right."

Stef and Lena nodded at him, standing aside to let Jude talk to him.

"How's Connor?" John asked.

"He's already being prepped," Jude said, sounding nervous. "He and I talked earlier."

John nodded. "Are you scared, Jude?"

Jude hesitated and then nodded. John looked up at the nurses pushing his stretcher.

"Hey, ladies, can you give me a minute with my cousin, please?"

The nurses stopped the stretcher and stood away to give Jude and John some privacy. John grabbed onto Jude's hand.

"You feel this?" he asked. Jude nodded. "I'm never letting go, Jude. I promise. And Connor will never let go, either. We're both gonna be OK. I promise you that."

Jude nodded, bent down and hugged John as tightly as he could. "Thank you for doing this," he whispered.

"Eh, it's only a kidney," said John, causing Jude to burst into laughter. John laughed with him as the nurses walked back to them.

"We really should get going, John," one of them said kindly.

"I know," John said, giving Jude one last pat on his hand.

"John," Jude said quickly before the nurses started to push the stretcher. "I love you."

"I love you," John said. "I'll see you when this is all over."

John nodded at the nurses, who continued to push his stretcher toward the operating room. He watched as his family disappeared back into the waiting room, wondering how long it was going to before they saw each other again.

Once they reached the operating room, John was centered in the middle of the room next to Connor. John looked over at Connor and saw he was still awake.

"How you doing, buddy?" he asked.

"I'll be glad when this is over," Connor said nervously.

"You and me both," said John, nodding in agreement. "We're gonna be just fine, you'll see."

"John's right," said Dr. Nichols, who had entered the room and approached them without them noticing. "This surgery is totally safe."

"How long is it gonna take?" Connor asked.

"Several hours. Sometimes, it can take up to 12 hours. We'll sedate the both of you, and then we'll start working on you both at the same time. We'll remove your bad kidney, Connor, and replace it with John's as quickly as we can. Then, we'll sew you both back up and take you to recovery. You'll be asleep during the entire surgery, and you won't feel a thing. Think of it as a long sleep."

John nodded. "Thanks, Doc." He turned to Connor. "See, we'll be OK."

Connor looked at him and nodded. John leaned over and grabbed onto Connor's hand.

"We'll be fine, Connor. I promise. I'll never let go."

"I'll never let go," Connor echoed.

* * *

John woke. He wasn't sure where he was. All he knew was that he was on the ground and the atmosphere around him seemed peaceful. He opened his eyes and slowly stood up, taking in his surroundings. He was in a meadow, that much was clear. It was sometime early in the day. The weather was fall like.

 _But that can't be,_ John thought. _We're in the middle of summer._

"John!" came a voice from behind him. John whipped around and stood face-to-face with Connor, who was smiling brightly at him, wearing his hospital robe. John looked down at himself and saw he, too, was wearing his robe.

"What's going on?" John asked. "The last thing I remember is counting down from 100 as the drug took effect."

Connor nodded. "Me, too. Next thing I know, I'm waking up here. I saw you when I stood up. Where are we?"

"That is a very good question," came yet another voice. It was one John recognized instantly.

 _But it couldn't be her. She's dead._

John turned around and there she was: His mother, Monica, was walking toward them, along with his father, Henry. They were wearing the same clothes they had when they were killed in the car accident.

"Mom…Dad," John said. "What's happening?"

"You're not dead son," his dad said, with his trademark grin. "You're just deep asleep as the surgery is happening. You're having kind of a vision of sorts. We decided we wanted to talk to you and meet your new special friend."

"Oh my god, Connor, I'm sorry," John said quickly. "Connor, this is my mother, Monica, and my father, Henry. Mom, Dad, this is Connor, my best friend and the guy I'm giving the kidney to."

"You must be super important in my son's life for him to be giving you his kidney," said Monica, smiling as she shook hands with Connor. "You're much more handsome than I imagined."

"Thank you," Connor said nervously, not sure what to make of the situation.

"You're a good kid, son," Henry said, shaking hands with Connor. "I can see that by the way you have treated my son."

"So, John," said Monica, "How is the rest of the family?"

"They're great. We really miss you, Mom, and you, Dad."

Monica smiled. "We miss you all, too. We've missed so much in your lives since the accident. But, I'm glad we can watch over you from afar."

"You make us so incredibly proud, John," added Henry.

John grinned at his parents, blushing slightly. "I wish you could meet Callie and Jude."

Monica smiled. "They seem like great kids. And that Jude must be a special boy."

"He is," John said, nodding. "He's one of a kind. I've never met anyone like him. I'm lucky to have him as a cousin. And Connor's lucky that he has him as a boyfriend."

Monica and Henry smiled at Connor.

"You keep that boy close, young man," Henry said. "He's good for you, and you're good for him. Plus, it'd be nice to no longer be the only good looking one in the family," he added with a wink at Connor.

"Oh please," Monica said to her husband. "Clearly, our son gets his good looks from me."

John laughed. "God, it's so good to see you both," he said with an air of sadness.

Monica pulled John into a hug. "That's why we came to you," she said. "We wanted to check up on you. We saw you were fitting in with the family nicely, but we wanted to make sure you were OK."

"I'm great," John said. "My life is wonderful with Stef, Lena and all the cousins. I just wish you two were a part of it."

"We are, John," Henry said. He pointed to John's chest, directly at his heart. "We're here, you see."

John smiled and nodded.

"Now," Monica said, standing up and grabbing hands with Henry. "We do have to get going, unfortunately. You boys have a long surgery to get through and you're both going to need time to recover from it."

She and Henry pulled John into a hug, which John wished could last forever. When they broke apart, they both hugged Connor, too, before grabbing hands again. A light appeared behind them and seemed to be drawing them toward it like a magnet.

"You take care, John," Monica said as she and Henry inched closer to the light. "And you, too, Connor."

"Give everyone our love," added Henry.

"We love you, John," said Monica.

"I love you," John said as they light consumed his parents and their spirits disappeared. He turned to Connor with some tears in his eyes. Connor pulled him into a hug.

"Your parents seem like great people," he whispered. "You're lucky to have them."

"I know," John said, crying lightly into Connor's shoulder. "I'm so glad you got to meet them."

"Me, too," Connor said. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a little tired, which probably means the surgery is going well. How about we call it a vision?"

John chuckled and nodded at him. They laid down together, holding hands as they drifted off into sleep, back into reality.


	7. Anywhere

Connor stirred as he reawakened. Jude leaned closer to him when he saw him start to move, desperate to hear that Connor was all right. The doctors had told him the surgery had been completed successfully, but both Connor and John had still not woken up.

Jude smiled at Connor when his boyfriend opened his eyes.

"Hi," Jude said.

"Hi," said Connor in a tired voice.

"I'm really glad to see you awake," Jude said. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Connor replied. He moved his head around, scanning the room. "Where's John?"

"He's still asleep," Jude said, pointing over to John's bed. "You both got out of surgery about three hours ago, and they brought you up here. They said it might a while before the drugs stopped keeping you two asleep, and I wanted to be here when you guys woke up."

Connor smiled. "Thanks," he said. Jude leaned down and kissed him softly. "I'm really glad that you're here."

"Aren't we all?" said John tiredly from their side. Jude looked around at John, who had regained consciousness and was sitting up in his bed, looking exhausted.

"John!" Jude exclaimed, leaping up from Connor's side and rushing over to John's beside. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you both were gonna wake up at the same time!"

To his surprise, Jude noticed that John was chuckling lightly.

"It's OK, Jude," John said in between laughs. "Your boyfriend is definitely your first priority. Yes, even over me."

"That's not what I meant," Jude said, feeling guilty.

John grabbed onto Jude's hand. "Hey, it's OK, I promise," John said. "You're here. We're here. That's what matters."

Jude nodded, relief spreading through his body. He bent down and hugged John tightly before returning to Connor's bedside. He got into bed with Connor, like he had when Connor was shot, and pulled out his phone.

"Playing games?" Connor asked.

"Just letting everyone else know it's safe to come and visit you guys," Jude said, putting his phone down and laying his head down next to Connor.

A few minutes later, the door to the room opened and in came the whole Adams Foster family and Adam, all of whom were looking relieved. The adults walked over to Connor's bed, while all the kids crowded around John's, all expressing their happiness to see them out of surgery. Once the adults were done, they switched places with the kids.

"I can't thank you enough for what you've done, John," Adam said. "You are a blessing, and I am forever indebted to you."

"Well, good, then you can pay the hospital bill," John said, causing them all to laugh.

"I see your sarcasm didn't stay asleep," Lena said, bending down and kissing John on the forehead.

"Now, how could we possibly have fun if my sarcasm hadn't woken up with me, Lena?" asked John in an innocent voice, causing Lena to laugh again.

"How are you feeling, Love?" Stef asked as she kissed John's head.

"Like a million bucks. I just feel super tired."

Stef nodded. "You and Connor will need to be in here for a few days to recover. Think you'll be OK?"

"I'll live," John said.

* * *

A week later, John and Connor were cleared from the hospital. That night, the Adams Foster family hosted a cookout, with Mike and AJ arriving and cooking hamburgers and hotdogs for everyone. Once dinner was done, Brandon and Mariana insisted that everyone gather for a short performance as a welcome home present for John and Connor.

As the family stood up to move, Jude grabbed one of Connor's arms and wrapped it around his shoulder to give him support. Connor laughed, acting as though he was annoyed by Jude's gesture.

"How long are you going to keep up being a nurse?" he asked as they walked toward the patio with everyone else.

"Until I know you're one hundred percent back to normal," Jude replied.

Connor chuckled and kissed him on the head. "I'm fine, Jude. Really."

"I know," Jude said. "I just really like being able to help you."

"Yeah, Connor," John said from behind them. They hadn't noticed him following them. "At least you get help. I'm over here like chopped liver."

"Oh shut up," Jude said as John giggled.

"Only joking!" said John. "Besides, I prefer to do things myself."

"I do, too," Connor said.

"But I'm not gonna let you," said Jude with a snarky expression on his face.

"Give it up, Con," said John as they took their seats. "This boy is stubborn, and will have things his way, no matter how much you protest."

"Shut it!" Jude said, smacking John on the arm. John giggled again.

"Love you, too, Jude," he said in a mocking voice. Jude smiled at him and gave him a one armed hug before he grabbed onto Connor's hand with one hand. He grabbed John's hand with his other, and placed both of them on either side of his lap, holding onto them.

"So, my Loves," said Stef as Mariana and Brandon walked up to the patio like it was a stage. Mariana had a microphone in her hand; Brandon had his keyboard set up and sat down at it. "What are we gonna hear from you two tonight?"

"Well, Moms, as a welcome home present for John and Connor, who we are so happy are back with us," Mariana said as she gestured at them. Everyone then applauded while John and Connor looked at each other, embarrassed. "And as a reminder that everyone here is loved, Brandon and I are gonna sing a little song about love and how we can be anywhere, but that love will remain. This song is called 'Anywhere.'"

At that, Brandon started to play a complex rhythm on his keyboard, while the CD player played an opening to a slow-paced, by high-energy song. After an intro that lasted about twenty seconds, Mariana finally broke in with her singing.

" _Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me?"_ she sang. " _And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free? I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you, when at sweet night, you are my own. Take my hand."_

As Mariana sang the chorus, Brandon joined her in singing before she sung the next verse.

" _We're leaving here tonight,"_ they sang. " _There's no need to tell anyone, they'd only hold us down. So, by the morning's light, we'll be halfway to anywhere, where love is more than just your name."_

" _I have dreamt of a place for you and I,"_ Mariana sang. " _No one knows who we are there. All I want is to give my life only to you. I've dreamt so long. I cannot dream anymore. Let's run away, I'll take you there."_

Mariana carried those notes as Brandon sang, " _We're leaving here tonight,"_ before she joined him in singing the rest of the chorus.

" _There's no need to tell anyone, they'd only hold us down,"_ they sang. " _So, by the morning's light, we'll be halfway to anywhere, where no one needs a reason."_

" _Forget this life, come with me, down look back, you're safe now,"_ Mariana sang. " _Unlock your heart, drop your guard, no one's left to stop you._ "

Brandon then joined her.

" _Forget this life, come with me, don't look back you're safe now,"_ they sang. " _Unlock your heart, drop you guard, no one's left to stop you now."_

Brandon then played more of the melody for several seconds. While he did, Jude and Connor locked eyes, realizing this song told a beautiful love story, similar to their own.

Brandon and Mariana then sang the final chorus together as loudly and as powerfully as they could.

" _We're leaving here tonight!"_ they sang, practically shouting. " _There's no need to tell anyone, they'd only hold us down. So, by the morning's light, we'll be halfway to anywhere, where love is more than just your name."_

Mariana's vocals carried for a few seconds before Brandon started to fade the rhythm. He faded it slowly before completely ending the song. When it was finished, Mariana spoke again.

"John and Connor, welcome home. We love you."

"Bravo!" yelled John, standing up and applauding. The rest of the clan followed suit, cheering loudly for Brandon and Mariana's performance. As everyone cheered, Brandon stood up from his keyboard and hugged Mariana. They then disembarked from the patio and joined the rest of the group, with Stef and Lena greeting them with hugs.

* * *

Jude and Connor turned to one another after everyone else went inside. John stood with them. They took each other's hands and stared into each other's lives, fireworks seeming to pass between them.

"I love you," Jude said.

Connor smiled as a tear of happiness slid down his cheek. "I love you, too," he said.

Jude grinned and pulled Connor into a hug. When they broke apart, Jude turned to John, who was smiling at the both of them.

"I can't thank you enough for what you did for Connor, for me," Jude said. "You are the most incredible person I've ever known, besides my love standing behind me," he added hastily. Connor giggled. "I don't know where I would be without you, John. You are an incredible person, and a wonderful cousin. I'm so blessed to have you here, we all are. But, I think you probably mean more to me than anyone else. I love you, John."

"I love you, too, Jude," replied John, smiling. "I'm incredibly lucky to have you as a cousin, too. I've never felt as close to a person as I have with you and Connor. You two have done so much for me just by showing that you care about me. Nothing, and I mean nothing, on Earth is higher than that. Thank you, Jude," he finished before pulled Jude into a hug.

When they finally broke apart, John looked at Connor.

"You know, there's not another person I can think of who would literally give me an organ," Connor said shyly, causing Jude and John to laugh. "You've been such an incredible friend, an incredible person. And I don't think of you as just a friend, John. You're the brother I never had. I love you, John Foster, like a brother."

John smiled before he spoke. "You know, there aren't a lot of people I would literally give an organ to," he said dryly, causing more laughter. "But, in all seriousness, you've been a wonderful friend to me Connor, and that's why I gave you my kidney. And I think of you as a brother, too. Who else would my parents want to meet like they did in that vision we shared?"

"Vision?" Jude asked.

"Connor and I kinda shared a vision together of us in a meadow with my parents when we were in surgery. They said they wanted to meet the young man whose life I was saving."

Jude smiled. "I'm glad they were able to meet him."

"So am I," said John. "And Connor, you are the brother I never had. I don't ever want to lose you. I love you, Connor Stevens, my brother."

Connor smiled as he and John embraced. After several seconds, Jude joined them in a small group hug. When they broke apart, John grabbed onto Jude and Connor's hands.

"Together," he said. "Forever."

"Together," Jude and Connor echoed. "Forever."


End file.
